My First Date with Mirai Kuriyama
by taylortot
Summary: He had always wanted to kiss a girl in glasses after all. Akirai.
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Sooo this is gonna be a short little fic, only a couple chapters long. It's mostly to satisfy my craving for Akirai fluff ahhh. I hope you enjoy! I don't own Kyoukai no Kanata (wow if only)

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Prologue

Akihito wasn't sure when he'd realized that Mirai was more than just a friend to him. Even becoming her friend had been a transition that he hadn't expected, hadn't even sensed, until she was standing there in front of him with a shaky determination on her face.

"I tried to stop being a Spirit World warrior and defeating youmu!" she'd yelled at him, eyes penetrating him with a decidedly _heated_ resolve. She'd curled in on herself and cast her fiery gaze to the ground, suddenly looking so terribly alone that he couldn't hide the softening look of understanding on his own face. "But this cursed blood. . ."

He often wondered if she had meant for him to hear that part, her voice had been so low, but she looked unbearably small and unsure of herself standing there, swallowed by her pink sweater, that Akihito couldn't help but offer comfort. "I'm the same way," he'd said tenderly, giving a gentle smile when she looked up in surprise.

That's when the first epiphany hit; not because he could relate to her, but because relating to her created within him a fierce desire to protect her from any of the same situations he had lived through. He _wanted_ to be her friend; she'd been on the roof of the school ready to commit suicide only a week beforehand. She needed someone and he was compelled to be that person. Being regarded as a monster was not easy or fun and he knew that better than anyone; just because he had a side of him that he had virtually no control over did not mean his human side was immune to the suspicious way all of his acquaintances treated him with.

He couldn't even fully trust Mitsuki or her older brother, as the only friendliness they ever showed him were pranks and relentless teasing. Those friendships were built on eggshells; he knew that a majority of the Spirit World warriors kept Akihito on their radar because he posed a very real threat. The Nase siblings formed a testy relationship with him out of obligation and he had conceded, partly because he was lonely and partly because he wanted to _show_ them that he had no qualms with cooperating.

And so, becoming Mirai's friend would not only curb her loneliness, but also satiate his starving need for true companionship. What a stroke of luck, to meet a girl who he could understand, who had the potential to understand him. He knew he had to keep her close and so he insisted that she join the Literary Club; Mitsuki didn't seem to have any aversions to Kuriyama-san (as exhibited at a later date) and it would be a relief to have someone around who wasn't there for the mere job of _watching _him.

The second epiphany hit only some weeks later. It hadn't taken long for Akihito to understand that, no, it was not normal to have _those kinds of dreams_ about your friends and, yes, the strong impulse to kiss them at the most inappropriate times was a taboo. He didn't used to be so anxious when Mirai sat close enough to him in the cafeteria that he could feel the heat coming off of her stocking-clothed legs, burning through his uniform slacks and into him. Her lips were now often times more fascinating to him than her precious glasses and he wasn't sure _how_ that happened.

He'd endured this nerve-wracking torture for a near month before he decided that he had to do something about it. After all, he was pretty sure that those lingering looks Kuriyama-san gave him were a little warmer than they used to be and while her vehement declarations that he was absolutely unpleasant were still regularly announced, she was a lot jumpier than usual lately. Fidgeting with her glasses, straightening her skirt, tugging absently at the ribbon of her uniform. Last week, Mitsuki had asked in a loudly curious voice why Mirai was wearing mascara. There'd been a lot of blushing and incoherent stammering before she bolted from the room, leaving just Akihito and the Nase girl alone.

He _thought_ something had looked different about his friend that day. She was wearing makeup?

Mitsuki had taken a seat across from him and raised a delicate eyebrow. "I'm surprised a pervert like you hasn't figured it out yet," she said in her usual drawl. Unwrapping a piece of hard candy, she pressed it to her lips and popped it into her mouth in the sensual manner that she accomplished with everything else.

"I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean," Akihito had supplied suspiciously, pushing away from the table and standing up and gathering his things together.

"Leaving already?" she'd asked archly.

He rolled his eyes for good measure. "Someone ought to make sure she doesn't klutz out on the stairs or at the train station." He hadn't been sure when he decided to walk Mirai to the station but let the words flow naturally anyway. They'd always spent a lot of time together; she was, intrinsically, his best friend. Of course it was perfectly acceptable for him to walk her half way home.

"Then you'd better hurry," Mitsuki replied flatly. "The chance she already tripped over something with the way she flew out of the room is higher than normal."

He had nodded and slung his bag over his shoulder before hurrying out, the sleeves of his shirt rolled to his elbows. Once alone in the room, Mitsuki had merely sighed about how much of an idiot he was and went to work on an article for the Literary Club.

Akihito had ended up riding the train with Kuriyama-san, and even walked her to her door. The bespectacled beauty had been confused about the escort but she didn't complain aside from the stuttered "A-are you sure, Senpai?" to which he had reassured her that, _yeah_, he wanted to walk her home.

The evening had been warm; Akihito's uniform was reduced to a simple white button up with his tie loosened and Mirai was sporting her own short-sleeved version of her school clothes, sans her signature pink sweater. He couldn't have been sure if the electricity he felt walking near her was because of her or because of the humidity in the air. Maybe it'd been a little of both.

If he hadn't felt that electricity, if she hadn't looked up at him under those long eyelashes over the tops of her red-rimmed glasses, if the wind hadn't tousled her hair _just_ so, if she hadn't grabbed his arm so suddenly after tripping over a raised crack in the sidewalk. . .maybe he wouldn't feel this way. He almost certainly wouldn't be distracted by the gloss of her lips when she talked, or the cherry-blossom color on her perfectly shaped face.

But the fact of the matter was that those things _did_ happen, prompting him to stand much closer than normal while bidding his farewell at her door. Her face had always been so easy to read and it was clear to him that she was astonished by the proximity, but the flush on her cheeks suggested she didn't mind too much.

He wanted to kiss her, but he refrained from that. If he was going to kiss her, he was going to make sure it was the right moment before that happened.

So instead, he'd reached up and gingerly, slowly, swept her bangs back from her eyes before letting his fingertips trail down the side of her face. Her golden eyes became the size of saucers and the breath seized in his chest.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he'd said gently after a moment of collecting himself. "Be careful hunting that youmu tonight, alright?"

She smiled at him through the bright pink color of her surprise. "Of - of course, S-senpai!"

"Treat your spectacles with extra care."

"Stop being unpleasant."

He flashed a smile at her and then watched as she edged away from him. It'd taken her a moment to get her key into the lock with her hands trembling ever so slightly, but he waited until she was safely inside with the door shut behind her before he made his way back to the train station so that he could head on home himself.

That night, he'd made his resolve and today, Akihito was going to carry it out. There was no doubt about it; he was terribly anxious, sickened by the possibility that she would turn his confession down but he held tight onto why it had to be done.

He always _had_ wanted to kiss a girl in glasses, after all.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Chapter one for you! I do not own Kyoukai no Kanata.

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Chapter 1

The last time Akihito had been this nervous around Mirai Kuriyama was that week she had stalked him through the halls in order to get close enough to run him through with her blood blade. Of course, he figured that having her reject his confession would be as painful a stab through the heart as it was with her sword. He'd live, no matter the outcome. After all, he was immortal.

He was slightly more concerned that their friendship wouldn't recover as seamlessly but no matter how much he valued Kuriyama-san as a friend, he honestly didn't know how much longer he could go before the torture of having her so close fried his brain completely and he did something stupid without an explanation.

Like grabbing her. And kissing her. _Fervently_.

At least if he told her how he felt, she would know. He thought they both deserved that.

Which found him on this horribly hot Friday morning, his hair curling more than usual in the humidity, and he purposely left his shirt untucked, the first button at his throat open, the tie loosened so that it hung pathetically against his chest. The shower he'd taken that morning was clearly a waste of time; sweat had already perspired at his hairline and he knew that with his nerves already edgy, today had the potential to be absolutely miserable or absolutely exhilarating.

When he walked into the school, he made for his classroom, taking the long way as he cruised down the halls toward the first-years wing. It was normal routine for him, but his stomach was full of butterflies nonetheless. She was easy to spot in the throng of students who conversed with their friends in the halls before classes. Not because she was usually standing off to the side by herself - though that was something - but because she was Mirai, and the aura she carried with her was like a siren to him.

"_Ohayou_, Kuriyama-san," Akihito said brightly with a smile as he approached.

Her tired gaze swept up to meet him and behind the dazzling, perfect pair of glasses perched on her up-turned nose, purple bags sagged under her honey-colored eyes. It must have been a long night of youmu hunting. He hid his mirth at the lazy death glare she seemed persistent on wearing.

"I'm tired and it's hot," she grumbled, her hands fidgeting absently with the hem of her skirt. "This is unpleasant."

His eyes flashed with amusement and the longer he stood here beside her, the less nervous he felt. Things were just _easy_ with her. "Long night, huh? You look relatively unscathed."

She sighed loudly, clearly noting that she was entertaining him. It made her already sour mood darken; she was not trying to be funny. Maybe if she showed him that ugly scratch she got last night he wouldn't be so amused. He always was fiercely sober when it came to her injuries. "Relatively," she snorted, hiking up the edge of her skirt to show the bandage that wrapped around her upper thigh.

Too late, she realized how inappropriate her actions were and felt her bitterness become engulfed in embarrassment. Suppressing a squeak, she tugged the article of clothing down abruptly and quickly looked up to gauge Akihito's expression. Her blush went from cotton candy-colored to watermelon when she saw the strange look in his eye. A shiver of heat ran down her spine.

He could feel the warmth of her blush across the space between them but that might have had something to do with how hot it was inside the school, or even the fact that his skin was suddenly flushed with a pinkish hue. His mind was sluggish as he looked up from the end of her skirt, eyes fixated on her wide-eyed gaze. Absentmindedly, he licked his lips.

"S-s-sorry," she stammered, mentally berating herself. This is what happens when she doesn't get enough sleep! Was she light-headed because of his unwavering stare or because she was still anemic? She wasn't sure, though the fact that the first idea had even surfaced in her head only made her feel dizzier. Why did he have to look at her like she was the _only person_ in the world?

Akihito shook his head, finally snapping out of his reverie. A smile pulled at his mouth as he tried to pretend that the blush on his face was merely a figment of his imagination. "I-it's okay. Uh, you're okay, though, right?" He reached up to wipe the perspiration off his forehead with the back of his wrist. Though he had seen a large portion of her skin that he hadn't been prepared for, he was free from the wandering thoughts to wish that he could have been there. _Idiot. It's not like you can protect her. _"I mean, it doesn't hurt too bad, does it?"

"N-n-no," she said quickly. Her eyes darted toward the door of her classroom. It was clear to him that she was uncomfortable; he didn't want to let her go, but he had to get to class soon too. "I sh-should get ready for class, S-senpai."

"Me too," he admitted.

She bobbed her head in a jerky manner and reached up to clench the strap of her bag before darting past him. He watched her go, wishing that his eyes would stop caressing her curves so delicately, wishing that she was just another girl in glasses, knowing that could never happen.

A surge of pleasure coursed through him when she paused in the doorway of her classroom and looked over her shoulder, blush still burning on her face, eyes timidly appraising him. "I'll see you at l-lunch, right?"

His heart thumped hard against his ribcage. "Of course." They almost always ate lunch together.

She nodded resolutely and then darted out of sight. Akihito inhaled deeply and leaned against the wall for a moment to collect himself. Every moment of the past few minutes flashed through his mind with crystal clarity, amping up his blood pressure. _Christ, _what had prompted her to lift up her skirt? He could have pretended it was any normal morning if she hadn't done _that_.

"She's going to be the death of me," he muttered, tightening his fist around the strap of his book bag before pushing away from the wall.

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Akihito had planned to carry out his mission at lunch since they usually avoided the noisy cafeteria scene. He'd spent the entire morning in class thinking about what he would say to her, how he would smile, maybe take her hand if she was giving off the right vibes. Lucky for him, Mitsuki was dealing with things regarding Nase family being the head of this district in the Spirit World, so Akihito and Mirai would be alone. It was really the perfect setting.

But when lunch rolled around and they were sitting at a deserted table in a quiet room down the hall from the mess hall, he found himself struck absolutely speechless. How was it possible that even with the heat in the air, he could still feel her electrically close as they sat side by side? Flustered and increasingly nervous, all he could do was shove his meal into his mouth while she ate, unsuspecting of the hurricane going on in his mind.

Mirai had all but forgotten her embarrassment of the morning, instead focusing on the way her senpai had looked at her after both realizing what she'd done. A warmth spread in her chest as she chewed her food silently. She'd been troubled by his penetrating gaze at first, but her memories of it always more than made up for whatever humiliation she'd inflicted upon herself.

It'd been a long time since she'd found someone like Akihito Kanbara. The last person that she'd given herself to so fully had been Yui Inami. . . She shook her head passionately. _No_. She would not go down that track today. Mirai knew that Akihito left her with such lasting hope and happiness for her future that she wanted to bask in it, not remember everything she'd done to not deserve him.

Maybe a part of that had to do with the fact that she realized he needed her, too. It wasn't just about her happiness, but his, and she knew that they had an understanding that sometimes overwhelmed her massively.

She noticed the way he was intently staring off into space and shifted her body toward him as she finished off the last of her meal. He had been acting rather oddly lately. A little distant, but always warm and very lenient with her sour moods. Her heart stuck in her throat remembering that night almost a week ago when he'd walked her home after school and touched her face so gently. She felt herself go fire-engine red.

Naturally, that was the moment Akihito tuned back into his surroundings, probably called back to the present by Mirai's inquisitive eyes on him. His curiosity piqued when he saw the fierce blush on her face and raised an eyebrow, his own inner turmoil disappearing for the moment. What on earth was she _thinking_ about?

"Senpai!" she squeaked, turning her face away abruptly.

He shook his head and chuckled under his breath, grateful for the distraction. "Why are you blushing, Kuriyama-san?"

She slid her glasses off her nose and proceeded to obsessively wipe the lenses while keeping her eyes away from him. "I-I-I'm not blushing! It's really hot in here!"

It was toasty but nowhere near _that_ hot. He watched in amusement as she furiously continued to clean her glasses and plucked them out of her hands after watching her for several moments. "You're going to break them if you don't stop."

She scowled in indignation. "Give them back."

He took this opening to tease her. "How can you possibly expect me to entrust the life of your precious glasses to you when you treat them so roughly?"

"Stop saying weird things," she said, reaching across his body for the spectacles. With a smirk, he pulled them just out of reach, causing her glare to darken. "_Senpai_."

Suddenly, his stomach felt full of jitters, his throat dry, as he understood that _this was it_. This was precisely the moment he'd been grasping for when the lunch hour started. He swallowed thickly and managed a cagey smile. "I'll give them back on one condition."

She was abruptly aware of how close she was to him after trying to snatch her glasses back out of his fingers. Her cheeks pinked and her eyes caught on part of his throat usually hidden beneath his uniform but she didn't move as she looked up to meet his gaze. "What condition?"

He shifted nervously and looked down, his face blooming with unexpected color that Mirai found endearing. "Ahh. . .a-are you free tonight?"

She stared. "Yeah? What does this have to do with my glasses, Senpai? I need those to _see_, you know."

Her shortness with him was just the push he needed. After all, he was confident about what he wanted and there was no reason why he shouldn't show her that. "Then perhaps if I gave them back you'd go to_ see_ a movie with me."

He held his breath as his words sunk in; her honey eyes widened. There were several - _several_ - long moments of silence before she gasped quietly. "A-are you a-asking me _out_?"

"We could eat dinner first, of course," he said, unable to help the blush on his face. "W-we could go where ever you wanted to go."

She thought her heart was going to burst it was beating so fast, the thrill of happiness urging her to do something stupid like throw herself in his lap. Her fingers played with the ribbon on her uniform and she bit her lip, still mindful of how close she was to him. She shifted slightly and became hyper-aware as her knee bumped against his.

"I'd like th-that," she mumbled after a stretch of stillness. His answering smile was euphoric and she was blinded by it; she thought for a moment that she'd do anything for him if he was going to smile like that.

"Seriously?" he asked, the joy apparent even to his own ears.

She fixed him with a look. "If you give me back my glasses, yes."

With an excitable laugh, he made to kiss the bridge of her lenses before sliding them back onto her face, watching with pleasure as she blushed again. She did that a lot around him.

"You're so creepy, Senpai," she huffed through the explosion of color on her face. Traitorous body.

"Uh-uh," he said, dipping his head toward her slightly. She was struck by how warm his eyes were, how light and happy and carefree that he seemed just because she had happened to agree to a. . .a. . ._date. _"You should try using my name, Kuriyama-san."

She scooted away from him and began cleaning up her lunch so as to pack it away. It was getting close to the end of the break, and she still had to use the bathroom before returning to lessons. "You said one condition, not two, _Senpai_," she reminded him, adopting a decidedly playful tone while keeping a serious expression. As serious as it could get through the pink of her cheeks, of course.

He watched her hands as she placed her empty lunch box back into her bag, understanding that it didn't matter what she called him as long as she always addressed him with that tenderness in her voice. "Fair enough."

She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you after class."

He smiled at her, the butterflies in his stomach trying to fly free. "Kay."

She blinked and then turned on her heel, dashing off toward the bathrooms. After she turned the corner, Akihito heard her yell in surprise and the distinct sound of a chair scraping across the ground and toppling onto the tile.

"I-I'm fine!" she insisted, probably knowing instinctively that he was already half-way out of his chair. Soon, her footsteps could be heard dashing off down the hall, leaving Akihito to laugh to himself. One of the most powerful Spirit World warriors he ever met and she turned out to be a gigantic klutz.

It's not like it was a big deal, anyway; he wanted her just the way she was. Comfortable silences and sour moods and clumsy feet in all.


End file.
